Hearts Yearning
by Tandem
Summary: She was orphaned the day she turned 14, her parents dying in an accident orchestrated by the local committee of lords, who are planning destruction. She knew little of her parent's death, nothing but the fact that they had died because they had interfered
1. prologue

Prologue  
  
Goodsouls Childrens Home  
  
Serena tossed in her sleep, imaginary walls closing in on her and the imaginary screams of others filling her ears. She whimpered and turned to get away from them, but they followed her, plaguing her relentlessly. She couldn't breathe, for the weight of her fear pressed on her chest, preventing her from getting the air she so desperately needed. As a result her heart pounded heavily, trying in vain to pump her blood around her body, the lack of oxygen making it almost impossible. Sweat beaded on her forehead and along the length of her body. She would wake up in time, to find that her nightdress and pillowcase would be soaked in sweat.  
  
This was the state she found herself in every night. The nightmares that made sleep something to be feared and fought. Yet with the amount of work her body and mind were forced to endure all day, it was almost impossible not to surrender to what should have been oblivion.  
  
Across the room, in one of the many beds that occupied the small room, Serena's new roommate watched her with pity. Newly arrived at the orphanage, Mina was two years younger than Serena's 18 years old. She was an insomniac, and rarely slept. She usually hated this condition, but seeing Serena in the fits of nightmares each night, had made her think twice. She would rather not sleep at all than sleep and dream like Serena did. Many nights she had debated over whether to go and wake her, but had never actually got up the nerves to get out of bed and do it. She feared the Keeper too much.  
  
1 Week Later  
  
The Keeper called to Serena as she was finishing her morning chores. She dreaded these days, when she was called away to the Keepers office, off which was a private room, and was subjected to endless tests. They generally lasted all morning and sometimes through into the afternoon. Once every month, generally in the week she had her period, from the day she had got here, Doctor Grivock, had come and delivered painful and repulsive tests, to both body and mind. Always she was forced to remove her clothing, or held down so they could be removed when she got up enough courage to resist, and she would be strapped to a wooden table, held at hands and feet. Then they would be left alone and the tests would begin. The mind tests were always first, questions would be thrown at her, the doctor's voice getting louder and louder, until he was shouting at her, demanding she gave up secrets she knew nothing about. Then came the physical examinations. She was always gagged for these, her screams of fury having drawn a curious crowd the first time she had been subjected to this. He would always start at the same place, her breasts, and work his way down. Hands that should have been impersonal, were not. And examinations that should have taken a few minutes were drawn out into half hour intervals, sometimes even longer. And she was always made to clean up any mess afterward, if she wanted to get her clothes back.  
  
The one time she had gained the courage to run and hide, instead of following the summons, she had been found and the tests had been ten times worse than any other time, lasting two days and nights. Nothing had ever been quite that bad since, but today she decided she was not going to go. She turned and ran for the nearest door, hearing the shouts of The Keeper, and the sound of guardians pursuing her. She would not go back to that room this month, or any other month. SHE WOULD NOT GO BACK! 


	2. It's the Only Way to Stay Alive

> > Chapter One It's the only way to stay alive  
  
Mina was walking down the hallway when Serena came tearing past, a group of guardians chasing after her. She flattened herself against the wall and watched with horror as the guardians caught Serena and started beating her into submission.  
  
Serena's screams filled the hallway and she fought with everything she had. Her Blond hair hung in her face as she thrashed about, aiming to connect with anything that would hurt. She looked towards Mina, cowering against the wall and screamed out to her to help.  
  
Her name was being screamed over and over again. Serena's screams filled her ears and tormented her conscience. She wasn't strong enough to be any use; the guardians would just brush her off. She couldn't help Serena, even though she desperately wanted too, she just couldn't.  
  
One Guardian had her by the arm and another had just got a grip on her hair. She knew that she couldn't get away, but she wasn't going to stop now. She would rather die than go back into that room. She looked towards Mina, silently begging her for her help.  
  
She would never know how she got up the courage to push away from that wall and sprint towards where Serena was being held. She clawed at the back of a guardian, tearing shreds of his shirt from his back with her fingernails. She reached skin and kept going, adrenaline pumping through her veins, draining her fear. She got past that one and started in on another, dodging the hands that tried to grab her as she methodically attacked the guardians holding Serena down.  
  
Serena saw Mina attack the guardians and renewed her attack with more force, hope driving her to fight hard and move more swiftly. She was just throwing a right hook when she felt the back of her shirt grabbed and she was lifted off the ground by a massive, muscled arm. She saw a huge man creeping up behind Mina, who was occupied with an agile guardian, and tried to call out a warning, before her head was smashed against a wall and she lost consciousness.  
  
" She fights like a wild animal!" The Keeper said.
>> 
>> " Yes but it was methodical at the same time. I would say she's been taught to fight before. Possibly by her parents." Dr Grivock replied.
>> 
>> " She should have been exterminated with her parents."
>> 
>> " Perhaps! But then we would never know how much her parents knew, or who they told." Grivock said.
>> 
>> " We don't know that now!"
>> 
>> "True, but that doesn't mean that we won't. Given time."
>> 
>> " How much time do you need? It's been nearly four and a half years."
>> 
>> " The Lords have said give her one more year to remember what it is she's forgotten!"
>> 
>> "Then what?"
>> 
>> " She all yours. To do with what you like."
>> 
>> " Can I at least flog her today for her little act of defiance?"
>> 
>> " Have it your own way, but leave me enough to examine for clues as to what her parents used to make her forget. Mainly the wrists. The back is all yours, I've already checked that bit out."
>> 
>> " As well as a preliminary check of the rest of her little body?" The Keeper sneered.
>> 
>> " Naturally, that's what I'm hired to do. I wouldn't be human if I didn't satisfy some of the...... curiosity that festers in all of us." Dr Grivock said.  
  
Serena opened her eyes, knowing instinctively where she was going to be. What she hadn't been expecting was to be tied up. She thought the Keeper would have tormented her by leaving her unbound, so that she could throw herself against the door in a vain attempt to smash it open. She looked over at her bound wrist and saw what she was attached to, at the same time feeling the hard contours of the table against her back. " Oh Please No! Not this table, not like this. Please God, get me out of here, take me away from this place and this nightmare." She moaned.
>> 
>> "Serena?" a voice asked, a hand brushing back her hair from her face. She instinctively tried to recoil from that touch, but the chains holding her to the table prevented the movement.
>> 
>> " I'm sorry Sere, it's me, Mina, I didn't mean to alarm you." Mina said, coming round the table so Serena could see her.
>> 
>> " Your face!" Serena said. " I got pretty beaten up by the guardians, but it's not that bad." Mina said.
>> 
>> " Not that bad! Mina you look like a dogs torn at your face!"
>> 
>> And she did. A ragged cut stretched from the corner of her right eye, to half way down her cheek. Both eyes were black and puffy, the left almost swollen cut. Her nose was crooked, leaning heavily to the right, and her lips were cut in several places. Another cut was just visible on her left temple, stretching back into her hairline and out of view.
>> 
>> " Well at least I know I did at least as much damage to the guardians as they did to me." Mina said, aiming at cheerfulness.
>> 
>> " I'm sorry I got you into this." Serena sighed.
>> 
>> " I'm not." Mina said meaningfully.
>> 
>> " Why?" " Because I've known something's been wrong since a couple of days after I got here. You got called to the Keepers office while everyone was having breakfast the first day I was here. I thought it was because you were in trouble and I didn't want to get myself in trouble either so I decided I was going to stay away from you. I noticed in the next few days that you were constantly watched. But then the next month on almost exactly one month from the last time, the keeper called you again, this time as you were coming into the breakfast hall. And the next month the same, and the same this month. I figured out the second month that it was the same week you were due for your period, because you have yours at the same time I have mine, and I thought you probably had some trouble with it, but you were gone so long. And Tory, who has heaps of trouble with hers wasn't seen by anybody either."
>> 
>> "Why didn't you say something?"
>> 
>> " Because I was scared of what you might say." Mina said, dropping her head.
>> 
>> " Has anybody been in while I was unconscious?"
>> 
>> " No, I woke up almost immediately after they dumped us in here, I was awake when they put those things on you" she said, indicating the chains " No one's been in since."
>> 
>> " That's not to say no one's going to come." Serena said.
>> 
>> " Mina you have to look like you have distanced yourself from me after what happened to you."
>> 
>> " Why?"
>> 
>> "Because that's the only way you are going to get out of this alive."


	3. Pains Release

> Chapter Two  
  
Serena clamped her jaw shut as she tried not to give in to the urge to scream. The whip descended, time and time again. She had lost count of how many times it had fallen and dreaded to think how many more times it would descend upon her back. The agony was never- ending, and darkness pulled at the edges of her vision.  
  
The Keepers hatred for this girl was strong. She loathed having to look at her everyday and dreamt of the day when she would have Serena at her complete mercy. She vowed that Serena would pay for her parent's interference. What she was feeling now was only a very tiny sampling of the torment the Keeper would put her through when the day came that the Lords gave up on the secrets she carried and handed her over. Revenge would be sweet, and not at all swift. Death for Serena would come slowly. Until then she would have to be content with what she was allowed, but the time would come and she would be ready for that day. Oh Yes! She would be ready when the little Serena was handed over into her care.  
  
Mina finished stuffing her few meagre belongings into the bag she had stolen from the Keepers office. She walked over to Serena's cubical and started packing her belongings on top of hers. She was going to get them both out of there, and she was going to do it tonight. She knew she had been lucky to get off so easily and that she would be watched from now on, so she had to get them out tonight. She didn't regret doing as Serena had said as much now as she had then. She recognised the opportunity it was and seized it. Amazingly the Keeper had been quite easy to convince that she was regretting her rash actions. When she had got ack to her room and seen her reflection in the mirror, she guessed it wouldn't have been too hard to believe. Serena was right; she looked like she had been mauled by a dog. She heard the bell go for dinner and walked over to the door to look out into the hallway. A few girls were heading from their rooms down to the dinner hall, so she waited until the last one left and then headed down after them. She hid the bag at the back of the block of toilets on her way to the hall. She ate her dinner at her normal speed, trying not to look at any of the girls that surrounded her. None of them took a second look at her face or expressed any signs of surprise at the state it was in. It was not uncommon for one of the girls to come in with cuts or black eyes. She was on kitchen duty that night. She deliberately delayed in finishing, trying to be last to finish, praying to whatever spirit there was up there, that she would be left alone when the guardian got fed up with her slowness and walked away. Luck didn't appear to be on her side, the guardian pulled a passing girl into the kitchen and instructed her not to leave until Mina did. Her plan to steal some food went out the window, but not her determination to leave. She went to bed at her normal time and waited until the early hours of the morning.  
  
The massive clock in the downstairs hallway struck three in the morning. Mina was still awake to hear it, and was out of bed as soon as the first chime sounded. She had dressed herself under the protection of her covers, without shoes. They were packed into the bag for when they got out of that brutal place. She padded to the door and slipped through, not looking beyond her next step for fear she would lose some of the courage she had been building up all day. She felt in her pocket to make sure her few weapons were still there and headed towards the Keepers office.  
  
Serena came out of her stupor when she heard a slight knocking on the door. There was a faint clicking sound. Someone outside was breathing quite heavily, but trying to stifle the sound of it. She glanced over to the massive guardian sleeping in the chair across the room from her. Suddenly there was a slight odour coming in under the door. She instinctively held her breath. There was a yellow coloured gas filling the room. She shut her eyes tightly when they began to sting.  
  
Mina capped the jar she held and waited a few minutes for the air to clear. She peeked into the office to make sure the gas had done its work, then crept by the unconscious guardians, to the door leading into the next room, praying Serena was still in there. She lifted the padlock, inserted one of her hairpins and twiddled it about a bit until it came undone. She pushed the door ajar a bit and placed the open jar inside. She left it for a few minutes, for the gas to permeate the room, then held her breathe, pushed the door open further and walked into the room.  
  
Serena lifted her head from the table and looked, with glazed eyes, to where the person had just entered the room. Mina was standing there staring in horror at her exposed back. The colour was draining out of her face rapidly and her eyes were large with shock.
> 
> " What did they do to you?" Mina whispered. She took in Serena's condition and acted as quickly as her shaking limbs would allow her to. She walked over to the sleeping guardian and lifted the keys from his belt as well as the gun he carried and attached it to her belt. She quickly released Serena from the chains holding her to the table and helped her to sit up, smothering the slight moan Serena let out with her hand. Serena's face was burning, as was the rest of her body and Mina knew there would be infection in the wounds on Serena's back tomorrow if she took her away from this place tonight. But she also knew Serena would rather fight an infection than stay her any longer.
> 
> " You have to walk out of here Serena, I can't carry you and the things we need to get out. I need your help now." Mina whispered in Serena's ear.  
  
Serena's hazy mind barely registered the fact that someone was talking to her. She couldn't think past the fact that she was standing and she was hot and cold at the same time. When the person supporting her started to move forward, it was only by sheer willpower that she managed not to pass out. Her feet seemed to move automatically, guided by the steps of the person next to her.  
  
Mina reached the door to the eating hall, just as the clock struck four. By her reckoning she had just over an hour to get Serena and herself outside the walls and away, before the guardians awoke from their drug induced sleep and found that Serena was gone. If what she planned didn't wake somebody before then. She worked as quickly as she could, propping Serena against a wall whenever she needed both hands to work. They went quickly through the orphanage, descending many stairs and turning down many corridors. She fiddled with the lock on the hall door. It wouldn't open. She checked the watch she had stolen from the Keepers desk as she had past it and saw that she had wasted half an hour. She searched around her for something to use to get the lock off, but saw nothing. She didn't want to have to use her supplies for anything other than what she had planned them for, but she had no choice. Lifting the gun she had stolen from the guardian from her waist, she tipped some of the gunpowder into the lock. Moving Serena a couple of metres away, she lit a match and chucked it into the lock, on top of the gunpowder. The small explosion sounded too loud to Mina's ears and she was forcing Serena to run before it had even stopped echoing through the hall. She ripped the broken lock from the door and rushed them both through it.  
  
Serena cried out at the brutal treatment her body was receiving and tried feebly to fight off who ever it was that was forcing her to run. Agony shot from her back to the rest of her body.  
  
Mina ducked quickly to grab her bag, without stopping, as they passed the back of the toilet block. She threw a paper bomb of some sort at the guardian stationed there and he dropped immediately, choking on the powder that spewed forth into his face. Quickly she propped Serena against the outside wall and dumped her bag and equipment next to her. Running her hands along the wall she found a couple of small holes and filled them up with the remaining gunpowder from the gun, trailing some along the joins of the rocks, to join each of the gunpowder caches together. She lit the end furthest away from Serena and ran back to cover her body with her own. Explosion after explosion broke the silence of the morning, as the fast moving flame touched each gunpowder filled hole. The wall slowly crumpled, rocks and dust flying everywhere. Mina felt small shards of rock hit her back. When the last explosion was over, she grabbed Her back, flung it over her shoulder, wincing when it hit a cut, and grabbed Serena. Bells were going off in the orphanage and lights were appearing in the windows in rapid succession. But the way was clear, the wall had crumpled completely in the area where she had planned.  
  
"How could you have let her get away?" The young lord asked furiously.
> 
> " She had help, my lord." The Keeper said.
> 
> " I don't care if she had help! She should not have been able to get away, even if she had an entire army at her command!"
> 
> " Yes my lord." The Keeper said.
> 
> The Keeper eyed the young lord with trepidation. At 25, he was the youngest of the Lords currently ruling the local area. But, despite that fact, he was one of the most influential. With black hair, blue eyes and an aloofness that was tantalizing, Lord Darien, was by far the best looking young lord to be born in the last century. But his temper was infamous. He was notorious for seducing all the local women away from their husbands, and making those said husbands cower when they dared to stand up to him. He was probably the greatest asset the Lords had.
> 
> " She has go tot be found!" Lord Darien said.
> 
> " She will be my lord, I promise you."
> 
> " You promise me! I will believe that when she is handed over to me, bound gagged and unconscious!" Lord Darien pushed away from the window, from which he had been viewing the evaluation of the area by his trained men. He stalked to the desk and wrote something on a piece of paper. He handed the piece of paper to the Keeper with a scowl.
> 
> "My secretary's name. Once the girl is found, have a message sent to me immediately. Understand?"
> 
> " Yes, my Lord." The Keeper said quietly, bowing her head.
> 
> " Hmmph! Incompetent idiots!" Lord Darien muttered as he strode out of the room.  
  
Mina had been right, Serena's wounds had festered and now looked ten times worse than they had before. They were hidden as far away from the orphanage as they could get, before Serena had collapsed. Her fever had raged continuously for four days, getting steadily worse. Mina could not seek help, for fear they would be found and turned back over to the Keeper. Mina had no water to clean Serena's wounds. The water she could get, mainly from puddles and roof gutters, was barely drinkable. She forced it down Serena's throat, though it did little good. If a miracle didn't happen soon then Serena would die. And quite possibly Mina too.


	4. In Fates Hands

> Disclaimer: I don't own sailor moon or any characters pertaining to that series, however much I wish I did.
> 
> Chapter Three  
  
The main room in the inn was smoky and dark, the perfect place to meet and discuss business. The group of men and women seated at the table in the corner conversed in hushed voices.
> 
> "She's definitely escaped then?" A dark haired, bulky man asked.
> 
> " Last seen being dragged through a whole in the orphanage wall." One of the women said.
> 
> " No doubt the Lords have search parties out looking for her at this very moment." Another man said.
> 
> " As do we." The woman replied.
> 
> " But their parties are going to be led by Lord Darien. We don't really stand much of a chance Ami." The dark haired man said.
> 
> '' Relax Andrew, we'll make sure we find her first and bring her to safety." Ami said.
> 
> "And how are you going to convince her that we are not out to harm her?" A dark haired woman asked, flicking her long hair over her shoulder.
> 
> " From the rumours flying around, it's not going to be her we have to convince, Rei. It'll be the girl who's looking after her." Andrew said.
> 
> " Rumours?" Rei asked.
> 
> " Certain members of the committee are saying she was badly hurt when she left the orphanage." Andrew said.
> 
> " Neph and I overheard a conversation between a couple of loose tongued guardians." Ami said. "They said the guardian who was supposed to be watching her was 'disposed of' because he let her get away."
> 
> " The Lords aren't happy. They're not going to be very merciful at the moment." Nephrite said.
> 
> At that moment the door to the inn flew open and a couple of men walked in. Soaked from the rain that had been pouring down for the last couple of days. They walked over to the group and plonked themselves on a couple of spare chairs.
> 
> "What's happening out there Jed? Kunzite?" Ami asked.
> 
> " She's been found." Kunzite answered.
> 
> " By whom?" Rei asked.
> 
> " By us." Jadeite replied.
> 
> " Thank goodness for that!" Ami said.
> 
> " Where has she been taken?" Andrew asked.
> 
> " I said we'd found her, not that she was cooperating with us. Well at least her friend's not. That girl's got a bloody good aim." Kunzite replied.
> 
> " Oh dear. What happened?" Ami asked.
> 
> " She has a gun with her and is making it useful. She nearly took off Kunzites ear." Jadeite said, motioning for the barkeeper. Laughter burst out around the table at Kunzites look of indignation.
> 
> "Who's with them now?" Rei asked.
> 
> " Lita's trying to talk to them."
> 
> " How badly was she hurt?" Andrew asked.
> 
> " We haven't been able to determine that yet, but from what we can see it doesn't look like she's doing to well."
> 
> "I guess there's nothing to do but wait." Ami said.  
  
"Please Serena I need your help!" Mina said into Serena's ear while keeping the gun trained on the people surrounding their hiding spot. "Serena please, wake up and tell me what to do!"
> 
> Mina was exhausted, she hadn't gotten much sleep in the last few days and the pressure of having to keep them moving had been steadily draining any reserves of energy she had. She was starting to doubt herself and being found by these people as a sign of her failure to be useful. She didn't know what to do any more. She was feeling sick, tired, hungry and useless.
> 
> " Let........ them ...........help!" Serena murmured. " Don't care.....any more. Stop ......pain."
> 
> Mina looked down into Serena's face and saw her fatigue. It broke her heart to think that she might be taking Serena back into the place she hated so much, if she allowed herself to be taken by these strangers. But she had no choice. She looked through the rain to the woman who had been talking to her for the last few hours.
> 
> " Serena needs help, urgently." She called. " Please get her some help!"
> 
> Lita let out a sigh of relief. Motioning to the man standing behind her, she stepped forward and crouched down by the girl who was cradling her unconscious companion in her arms. " Zoicite here is going to take Serena and put her in our cart. We're going to take you somewhere warm and we're going to see to getting Serena some help." She said.
> 
> " I want to stay with her." Mina said determinedly.
> 
> " Of course." Lita said, nodding to Zoicite.
> 
> Zoicite leaned down to pick Serena up but was stopped by Mina grabbing his arm.
> 
> " Don't touch her back. It's infected." She said desperately.
> 
> " I couldn't do anything to help her." Tears slipped down her cheeks, mingling with the rain.
> 
> " I'll be careful of her back, I promise." Zoicite said gently.  
  
"We're clear." Lita said quietly into Zoicite's ear as he drove along the dark streets.
> 
> " The Mill?"
> 
> " I think that would be the best place to take them." Lita said.
> 
> " Cover the girls, and tell the one that's awake what's happening. Stay back there and help her to stop the other from moving" Zoicite said, indicating a waterproof covering at their feet.
> 
> Clambering over the seat into the back of the cart, Lita whispered into Minas ear and them covered them all with the covering. The cart suddenly jerked to the right and they were all thrown against the walls. Serena moaned and wreathed in agony. Mina pressed her shoulders into the floor and covered her body, using all her left over strength to stop Serena from moving. It seemed like hours before the cart stopped moving and Mina could finally relax her aching muscles and give in to sleep.  
  
" This little thing is the one who shot at me?" Kunzite said, stunned.
> 
> Jadeite looked into the face of the girl Kunzite was cradling in his arms and laughed.
> 
> " The great Kunzite was scared by a bullet, shot at him by probably the smallest woman he's ever had in his arms."
> 
> " She is kind of small isn't she?" Kunzite looked a bit concerned, and loosened the grip he had on Mina's slender body.
> 
> " This one's smaller." Nephrite said, lifting Serena from the cart.
> 
> " So much pressure's going to be hard for such a small body to bear." Rei said.
> 
> " Let's not talk about that now. She's got a lot to get over first before we can even think about what lies after that." Lita said.
> 
> " She's going to have to face it sometime." Andrew said, brushing a strand of Serena's hair from her face.
> 
> " That's if we can keep her alive." Rei said.
> 
> Lord Darien's lips twisted in a grimace, as the first mouthful of whiskey hit his tongue. He loathed this stuff, but it was the only thing his father kept in the house, and tonight he needed a drink. The next couple of days were going to crucial to the development of his plan and should anything go wrong, he was going to be in grave danger, along with his family. The girl was not to be found and the lords were getting restless, fearing she had already been taken in by the Rebels. And apparently they had good reason too. Rumour travelled fast in his circle of information and Lord Darien had reason to believe she and her friend had been found. Whether it was the truth or not, he intended to find out. And soon.
> 
> " Well done, little Serena! Well done!" He murmured to himself. " We'll be meeting very soon I think and you and I are going to have a nice long chat."


	5. Family Ties

> Disclaimer: I don't own sailor moon.
> 
> Chapter four  
  
Mina woke to feel someone drawing a damp cloth across her forehead. she blinked owlishly as light from somewhere streamed into her eyes.
> 
> " Hello there, how are you feeling?" Lita's voice was soft.
> 
> " Like I've been trapped in some dark spot for the last couple of days and am finally seeing the light again." Mina replied.
> 
> " That might be because you have been trapped in a dark spot for the last couple of days. Hiding under that dilapidated old cart would have stopped you from seeing any of the sunlight." Lita said.
> 
> " Oh my gosh, Serena! Where is she? I have to see her!" Mina said, suddenly remembering why she was there and why she was only just seeing daylight for the first time in the last couple of days.
> 
> "She's right next to you." Lita said, pointing to the other bed that occupied the room.
> 
> " Is she alright?" Mina asked hesitantly.
> 
> " At the moment she's doing fine. She's very strong and won't give into death without a fight." Lita said.
> 
> " At the moment?"
> 
> " She's been having a bit of a rough time of it. Her back was pretty badly infected and we had to do some pretty extensive work to get her in a stable condition. We're not sure that she's out of danger yet. If I had to guess I would say she's got a lot to go through yet before she's back to her normal self."
> 
> " Why are you doing this for us?" Mina asked, hopping out of bed to pad across to Serena.
> 
> " Wouldn't you help someone who was in need of help?" Lita sounded expectant.
> 
> "Yes, but you're not me. And I got the feeling that you had been looking for us." Mina said, checking Serena's temperature by placing a hand to her forehead.
> 
> " Astute aren't you?" A new voice asked.
> 
> Kunzite walked into the room and stood at the foot of Serena's bed.
> 
> " Only with great effort." Mina said, looking up at him.
> 
> Kunzite and Lita threw their heads back and roared with laughter. Mina looked at them for a moment then shrugged and went back to tending Serena. Her temperature was up and her nightgown was plastered to her body. Mina pulled it away from her skin gently, so she didn't stretch it across her back. She was lying on her side so that her back didn't touch the bed in any way, with a rolled up blanket supporting her. Mina stood up and went round the other side of the bed to have a look at the damage and had to stifle a cry when she saw just how bad it was. Torn flesh had been sewn back into place as best as was possible, but there were still gaping gashes along her back and shoulders. Pus was oozing from some of them and the skin still present looked bruised and distorted. Mina looked up to find Kunzite and Lita looking at her with sympathy. " Has she woken up yet?" " Once, but it wasn't for very long, the pain made her pass out again." Lita said gently. Mina looked back down at Serena. She couldn't hold the tears that came to her eyes back and they fell down onto the pillowcase, next to Serena's head. She ached for her friend, for the pain she must be feeling, anytime she woke up. Her body shook with the force of her sympathy, forcing her to her knees.
> 
> Lita and Kunzite were at her side instantly, wrapping her in their arms and whispering soothing words into her ear. She couldn't control the force of her sobs, or stop the screams that emanated from her mouth. She couldn't stop blaming herself for what had happened to Serena. She felt the hard chest as Kunzite picked her up, still screaming and crying, and carried her over to a chair in the corner of the room. She fought him, beating her fists against his chest and kicking her feet, but he held onto her tightly. He sat her in his lap, and cradled her still fighting form against his body. She eventually calmed down enough to stop fighting him, but she still cried. The tears wouldn't stop. It wasn't until she heard a soft crooning in her ear that she even became aware of her surroundings again. It was a child's lullaby, a song to sooth fears and erase hurts. Kunzite and Lita were singing to her. And amazingly, Serena as well. Lita was sitting by her bed, gently stroking the hair from her face, while Kunzite sat with Mina in his lap, singing into her ear. She closed her eyes and listened to the words, let the sooth away the pain as they were meant to do and let them carry her into sleep.  
  
"Poor little thing!" Amy said looking down on Mina.
> 
> She and the others had been drawn from their chores by Minas screams, and now stood around in the room checking everything was all right.
> 
> " Whose idea was the lullaby?" Rei asked.
> 
> " Kunzites." Lita said.
> 
> " Nice thought." Amy said, impressed. " I'm glad it worked."
> 
> " So am I." Kunzite said, bending down to brush the hairs at Mina's temple.
> 
> "You going soft on us Kunzite?" Rei asked.
> 
> " He was soft to begin with. He just didn't let you women see it, cause you would have been all over him." Jadeite said.
> 
> " What's wrong with a girl wanting a guy to treat her gently?" Amy asked.
> 
> " Nothing, you just can't expect it to come easily to us." Zoicite said.
> 
> Mina stirred in the bed and turned over, and they all decided it was about time they left and went back to work. Kunzite elected to stay for the next watch as Lita had already done hers. For the last couple of days they had all been taking it in turns to watch the two to make sure they weren't alone when they woke up.  
  
" How are they doing?" Amy asked, looking up from sharpening a blade when Kunzite came down the stairs into the kitchen to swap shifts with Jadeite.
> 
> " The little one's still not woken up again, and Mina's stirred a couple of times but not woken yet."
> 
> " She must have got quite a shock when she saw how bad little Serena's back was." Lita said, walking in from outside.
> 
> " I think it was more from the fact that she felt she had failed the little one in some way. She kept on murmuring, I'm sorry into my shirt." Kunzite said, sitting at the table.
> 
> " Sorry? I wonder why?" Lita said, sorting through a basket of vegetables.
> 
> " You'll have to ask when she wakes up." Amy said.
> 
> " How's the little ones back healing?" Amy asked.
> 
> " It's healing better than I had hoped. It'll look terrible when she's fully healed, but there's nothing I can do about that." Lita said.
> 
> " Will she have any restricted movement?" Kunzite asked.
> 
> " She will definitely have some, but I couldn't even begin to guess how much." Lita replied.
> 
> " Have you found any of the markings yet?"
> 
> " I'm looking, but no, I haven't found any markings yet."
> 
> " Do you think it's possible for this to be the wrong girl?" Kunzite asked.
> 
> " No, she has her family birthmark. Mole on the inside of her right wrist. Unmistakable and completely impossible to copy. Only a member of her family would have one." Lita said.
> 
> " Why impossible to copy?" Amy asked.
> 
> " The mole is the exact same size and in the exact same place on every member of the family. But the thing is it's not completely a circle, nor is it completely any other shape." Lita said.
> 
> " Weird!" Amy said.  
  
As was usual the Lords met in the middle of a large party, thrown to disguise their dealings with each other. During the course of the ball, all Lords would slip away and meet in one of the rooms, allocated before the event so that all members were aware of the arrangements. Tonight's ball was a debutante ball, held by Lord Darien, for his charge Rini, who at 14 was beautiful, smart and completely unaffected by her protector's wealth and title. The room allocated to the Lords was a small study off the main hallway. More than twenty men filled it when Lord Darien entered and motioned for them to sit. Servants offered cigars around, then left, shutting the door firmly behind them.
> 
> " Now gentlemen, that we are alone, shall we get down to business?" Lord Darien asked.
> 
> " Is it true that the girls has been found by the rebels?"
> 
> " It is." one Lord said, leaning forwards in his chair.
> 
> " How do we know this?" Lord Darien asked.
> 
> " Well we have been unable to find her, and so must assume she has been picked up by the rebels." Another Lord said.
> 
> " But we have no solid proof?"
> 
> " None as yet."
> 
> " So why have the searches been called off?"
> 
> " There is no point in searching any more. We have turned this city upside down in search of the girl and found nothing." A Lord at the back said harshly.
> 
> " Then we must search outside this city." Lord Darien said coldly.
> 
> " There is no point. Grivock got nothing out of her in the last four years, why would we get anything out of her now?"
> 
> " Because there's still the chance that she will remember, and if she' is in the hands of the rebels, then she's going to tell them isn't she?" Lord Darien said sarcastically. There was a general murmuring around the room.
> 
> " I suggest you all have your men start searching outside the city." Lord Darien said before turning on his heel and stalking out the door, leaving it open as a sign for the Lords to leave the room.


	6. On Deaths Door

> Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon
> 
> Chapter Five  
  
Days went by and still Serena did not wake up. Mina sat by her all day, everyday, barely leaving her side, except when she had to use the toilet or get something from somewhere out of reach. She still blamed herself for not trying harder and cried frequently, but she was determined to make it up to Serena by being as supportive as she possibly could. If that meant looking after her while she was unconscious, then she would do that.  
  
Amy took up a tray of food for Mina. She was loosing what little weight she had, but she didn't ever seem to realise she was hungry until someone brought up food, and so never came down to get something to eat. It was worrying. Amy knocked once and then pushed the door open with her foot. She walked over to Mina, who was sitting in her usual spot, crossed legged at the side of Serena's bed, facing her. She tapped her lightly on the shoulder with her elbow and then placed the tray on her lap.
> 
> " You know she'll let us know when she wakes up. You don't have to sit with her all the time." She said gently, settling herself next to Mina, who was picking at her food.
> 
> " She might not be able to." Mina replied.
> 
> " I think she would find a way."
> 
> " I prefer to sit with her."
> 
> " You should come down and walk outside for a while, nothings going to happen to Serena while you're gone."
> 
> " I still prefer to sit with her."
> 
> " Please Mina, you're as pale as the sheet on Serena's bed and you're loosing too much weight. You need to get out and get some fresh air, eat more. You won't be any use to Serena when you've worked yourself to death!" Amy exclaimed.
> 
> " And I won't be any use to Serena if I'm not here to help her either." Minas voice was neutral.
> 
> " You would be a lot more use to her if you weren't so tired and worn out, or if you weren't so underweight that your ribs show through your skin, or if your muscles weren't so worn away from disuse. Staying here is just going to make you even more depressed than you already are!"
> 
> " No."
> 
> " If you don't come out of here soon, one of the guys are going to come up here and forcibly move you out. It's not good for you to stay in here for so long." Amy said.
> 
> " No."
> 
> "Please Mina." Amy said desperately. "Serena wouldn't like to see you wearing away to almost nothing for her sake."
> 
> Minas facial features changed subtly at that. Amy was right, Serena wouldn't want that, but how could she leave and stand the chance that Serena would wake up without her being there? Amy, reading the emotions crossing Minas face said,
> 
> " I'll stay in here with her and give you an hour or two outside, if that would make you feel any better."
> 
> " OK." Mina said standing.  
  
"She's going to hate us for this." Kunzite said, standing at the bottom of the stairs, keeping an eye on Lita, who was standing at the top, waiting for a signal from Zoicite, who was standing at the door to Serena and Minas room, listening to the conversation within.
> 
> " I know, but she wouldn't be able to cope with what has to be done, not after what happened last time." Andrew said from the table.
> 
> " It's trickery!"
> 
> " None of us like it, but it has to be done." Rei said.
> 
> Kunzite stiffened when Lita signalled that Mina was coming down and walked quickly over to the table and sat down, making sure he looked relaxed. Lita and Zoicite quickly joined him and the others. They could hear Minas footsteps coming hesitantly down the stairs and had to prevent themselves from holding their breaths. Her feet came into view first, followed quickly by the rest of her as she descended the last step. She stopped and looked around the kitchen, peering at all the crockery and utensils hanging from hooks on the wall and roof. She walked over to the end of the table and placed her tray on it, still looking at her surroundings. They all watched her intensely.
> 
> " Hello." Kunzite said quietly.
> 
> " Hello."
> 
> " Finally decided we're not monsters after all?" Andrew asked.
> 
> Mina didn't smile, as she was supposed too, but her face did soften a bit. She shrugged.
> 
> " Would you like a tour?" Andrew asked.
> 
> Again Mina shrugged, avoiding everyone's eyes. She felt uncomfortable around these people. She had met them all, but she didn't know them. She didn't quite fully trust them and wouldn't until she heard Serena's opinion of them.
> 
> " Right, well, a tour it is then." Andrew said. " Kunzite will you do the honours?"
> 
> " My pleasure." Kunzite said smiling at Mina. "We'll start with the garden." Kunzite stood and moved over to the door, pushing it open for Mina to proceed him, and looking back quickly at the others as he exited, locking the door behind him.  
  
The garden consisted of three separate garden beds, each of them filled with different type of herbs and vegetables. They were arranged so that they were end to end, with a small path dividing them. They were just sprouting, and little green shoots could be seen poking up from the rich brown soil. Trees lined the edges and dropped leaves onto the wooden planks placed there.
> 
> "Amy loves this garden." Kunzite said. "She says it's like a child. It has to be nurtured, like they do, and fed and kept happy, other wise they grow to be sickly and unmanageable. She says plants have stages like baby, child, teenager and adult, just like us, and have the same sort of mood swings."
> 
> Mina didn't say anything. She walked over to the nearest tree and looked up into the branches. A bird was nesting in there and gave a loud cry when it saw her.
> 
> " That's Trista, she's been coming back here to nest for over ten years. Ever since we transformed the Mill into a house for us all." Kunzite said.
> 
> Seeing Kunzite the bird ruffled its' feathers and spread it tail feathers. It advanced menacingly towards them along the branch.
> 
> " I think we should leave her alone." Mina said.
> 
> " I agree."
> 
> " We've always been best friends, ever since we were children. Lita and Zoicite came out this way one day on a delivery, and passed this place. Then it was just an old, rundown mill. At that time we were looking for a place large enough for all of us, and this sounded perfect. None of us had very much money, we've all come from poor families, but we managed to get enough between us to buy this place. We did all the work on it ourselves, with second hand materials. It's been home ever since." Kunzite told her, trying to start a conversation.
> 
> She said nothing. They walked down a path, Kunzite letting Mina walk where she wanted, occasionally pointing things out to her, like the scarecrow in one of the corners of the yard, or a flower just coming into bloom, or the bees nest in the corner of the barn, where only one horse was kept. Everything seemed peaceful and right. Birds sang and a fresh breeze was blowing, lifting leaves and carrying with it the scent of flowers. But this peace was shattered by a scream, coming form the Mill. Mina turned so swiftly it was amazing that she didn't over balance. She bolted back towards the Mill, ignoring objects that smacked into her face and body. Kunzite ran after her, calling out to her, but being ignored. Mina reached the door to the kitchen and tried to open it. It was locked. She pounded on the door screaming out Serena's name, rattling the lock and slamming her body into the door. All the while hearing Serena scream over and over again.


	7. Homesick

> Chapter Six  
  
Kunzite caught up to Mina and watched helplessly as she threw herself against the door relentlessly, tears streaming down her face and her voice going hoarse from screaming so much. When he couldn't stand watching her torment anymore, he rushed over and pulled her against him, holding her flailing wrists and pinning her to his chest.
> 
> " Mina stop!" He said into her ear.
> 
> " You bastard! You bastards! Let me in! Let me go to her!" Mina screamed, frantically trying to wriggle out of his hold.
> 
> " No Mina, I can't"
> 
> " I know you have a key. What are they doing to her? Let me go!"
> 
> "I can't. Stop and just listen to me for a minute will you?"
> 
> " NO! I've got to get to her."
> 
> " You can't! Just listen to me. Serena's in the best hands now, she's being helped through this, soon she'll feel no pain." Kunzite said. Mina went wild.  
  
Rini skipped up the steps into Lord Darien's manor. The day was bright and sunny and everything seemed right in the world. By society standards she was no beauty, but her joy in life made her popular and created a beauty in itself. She was the type of person who could always find something good to say about bad weather or terrible styles of clothing, not to mention people. Today she was dressed in a flowing pink dress, that floated around her ankles and flew out when she twirled. her eyes sparkled and her face pinkened when she saw her guardian talking with his secretary in the hallway. Twiddling a flower in her fingers, she tiptoed up to him and threw her arms around his waist.
> 
> " Good day my lord." She said, peeking around his muscled form and looking into his face.
> 
> "Rini." Lord Darien said, tilting his head slightly in greeting.
> 
> " Ah, let me guess, business?" Rini asked.
> 
> " How did you know?"
> 
> " You've got your 'not now, Rini' look on your face. Don't worry I'm off, I've got a date for a stroll around the estate." Rini said.
> 
> " With whom?" Lord Darien asked.
> 
> " That's for me to know and you to find out about." Rini said playfully, heading off down the hall. She knew perfectly well her guardian would know before she reached the end of the hallway. His secretary, Andrew, was a fount of knowledge, and knew everything before it even happened. Andrew and Darien had been friends since they were little. Andrew lived away from the estate, unlike most of the other hired servants, and knew just about everything that went on in the village. Rini loved to go to him and ask him to tell her all the local gossip and stories of when her guardian was young. Twenty-seven, in her opinion, was old. t was from him she had learnt that Lord Darien had run into a brick wall when he was seventeen and broke four toes on his left foot, and that the day he turned 20, he got himself so drunk, he ended up cuddling one of the pigs in the pigpen all night, thinking it was his favourite dog, Hunter. Hunter was still around, although slightly older and slightly more arthritic. He was a pure bred cocker spaniel, Lord Darien helped into the world and was the smallest of the twenty-seven dogs kept on Lord Darien's estate.  
  
Rini walked into her bedroom, to find a half dozen bouquet's of flowers sitting in various vases around the room. Since they hadn't been there when she left the room earlier that morning, she could only assume they had been recently delivered and went in search of a card. She found one in the second last bunch of flowers. it read:
> 
> My Dear Little Rini,  
  
I know you have felt I have neglected you in the last couple of weeks, and I know you would have liked to have visited your ancestral home this spring. I'm sorry that I have not been able to take you and hope these flowers will help you to forgive me. They are from your mother's garden and have been picked only this morning. May they bring you memories of your home and make you feel at home here.  
  
Darien.
> 
> Rini sat down on her bed and re-read the card. She felt tears sting at her eyes and quickly wiped them. She lifted a bloom up to her nose and inhaled the intoxicating perfume. Many of the flowers were Lilies, her favourite kind, but the rest were roses and carnations. Her mothers pride and joy, protected and nurtured over the past few years by a dedicated team of gardeners and herself when she visited every spring. She regretted not being able to go this year, but recognised the importance of Lord Darien's business and so did not complain. She missed her parents and wished they hadn't been taken in that accident. She wished she could still live where the memories of them were still the strongest, but law and circumstance prevented it and instead she was forced to live here. It wasn't that bad, but it wasn't home. She loved Lord Darien like an uncle, but she missed her parents. Oh well, there was no point in lamenting their deaths now. She put the flower back in the vase and headed over to her wardrobe, ringing for a maid as she passed the bell.  
  
Lord Darien flew across the countryside on his Fleet footed gelding. He searched the horizon for any sign of Rini and her escort. A total of nine had ridden off from his front door, and he had passed 6 of them on his way, and Rini wasn't one of them. Had she taken one of her female friends with her, he would not be in such a hurry now, but she had not, her two current companions were both male and both very young and energetic. Heaven knew what they would be getting up to at that moment. Rini was an innocent, likely to fall for any cunning persuasions two experienced, young men might try on her. Panic made him dig his heels into his horse's sides and urged it to go faster. He suddenly saw on the horizon the silhouettes of three riderless horses and pointed his horse in that direction. When he reached them, he saw their riders lying on the grass at the edge of a pond, Rini standing over them. Darien jumped down and stormed over to them, shocked to find that the two men were curled up, moaning in the grass.
> 
> " What the hell is going on here?" He asked, looking straight at Rini.
> 
> " Nothing that hasn't been handled My Lord." Rini said.
> 
> She looked down at the two men at her feet.
> 
> " I trust you two can find your own way home." She linked her arm through a bemused Darien's and turned him towards the horses.
> 
> " Are you going to tell me what happened?" Darien asked as they rode back towards the manor.
> 
> " Those two gentlemen just got a little too close for comfort, so I sort of showed them which way away was." Rini said.
> 
> " How, may I ask?"
> 
> " Oh, Andrew showed me a few easy moves to protect myself with in case I ever found myself in a situation I didn't like."
> 
> " Really? I'll have to have a word with my secretary." Lord Darien said.


	8. Sent Flying

> Chapter seven  
  
Mina dropped to her hunches and twisted so that her foot connected with Kunzites shins and sent him sprawling. She quickly jumped up and backed away a bit so she had enough room to move. Kunzite was on his feet and in a defensive position by the time she had readied herself for making another attack. She had managed to allude his grasp each time he lunged for her and refused to listen to his calming voice when he tried to explain what was going on. Originally she had wasted energy by attacking madly, with no style or forethought, just scratching, kicking and punching, more often than not missing her intended target. Then she'd got smart and started thinking of moves before she made them.  
  
Kunzite was panting. He'd never guessed that Mina might know how to fight and was having trouble trying to anticipate her next move. He was cut in a couple of places from when she had got her hands on a thorny vine and wrapped it around his neck, cutting off his air supply. He had been lucky to escape the hold she had had on him that time. He wished she would calm down and listen to him. He wasn't sure whether Serena stopping screaming had made things better or worse.  
  
" Mina, just listen please!" Kunzite said, dodging a punch and lunging at Mina. Mina side stepped Kunzites lunge and aimed a kick at his groin, which connected. He collapsed on the ground groaning.
> 
> " I will not listen to a murderer!" Mina said, and aimed a kick at his head. Kunzite felt the blow just before he blacked out.  
  
The door to Serena's room, burst open just as Lita was pouring a liquid down Serena's slack throat. Mina flew into the room and, before anyone could even think of moving, had knocked the mug from Lita's hand. Lita was grabbed by the hair and flung across the room. Mina turned too the three men holding Serena down and raised the knife she had grabbed on the way up.  
  
" Let... her... go!" Mina said, her voice low and menacing. Zoicite, Nephlite and Jadeite moved away slowly. Amy, who was at the end of the bed, also moved away.
> 
> " Mina, we're not going to hurt you or Serena, we're just trying to help, we just wanted to get her out of pain." Amy said smoothly.
> 
> " Don't patronise me you murdering bitch!" Mina growled.
> 
> " No one's hurting anybody." Lita said from where she had landed.
> 
> " No? Serena didn't think so, other wise she wouldn't have been screaming! She probably woke up just in time to realise what you were all up to." Mina said, moving to a position that would enable her to protect Serena better.
> 
> " If she hadn't woken up she wouldn't have felt a thing." Jadeite said.
> 
> " I want you all out of here NOW!" Mina growled.
> 
> " Mina...."
> 
> " I said NOW!" Mina screamed. The guys moved cautiously towards Lita, protecting her from Mina's waving blade. Amy quickly walked over to Lita and helped her up and over to the door, supporting her as she was limping. They walked behind the men and inched through the doorway, keeping an eye on Mina.  
  
"Kunzite'll need some stitches." Andrew said, coming into the kitchen from the back room. He had arrived home just as they had all come trooping downstairs after their confrontation with Mina and her blade.
> 
> "I'll get round to it as soon as I've finished bandaging Lita's foot." Amy said, from her place on the floor by Lita.
> 
> "Has he woken yet?" Nephlite asked.
> 
> " Not yet." Andrew said.
> 
> " What did he say to make Mina go so wild?" Rei wondered out loud, rubbing her head where Mina had hit it with the end of the knife on her way through the kitchen.
> 
> " What ever he said it was obviously the wrong thing to say." Jadeite said.  
  
" I don't thin hearing Serena scream helped any." Lita said.
> 
> " Well that's our plan gone down the drain. She won't ever leave that room again now and we won't be able to finish what we started." Jadeite said.
> 
> " How much of it did you actually get down her throat?" Amy asked Lita.
> 
> " Not enough for it to make much of an affect." Lita replied.
> 
> " Damn!" Jadeite swore.
> 
> " Then we've failed."
> 
> " Unfortunately, yes." Zoicite said.
> 
> " Lord Darien's not going to be happy about that. He wanted her to be brought to the Manor day after tomorrow. Completely out of it." Andrew said.
> 
> " Well he's going to be disappointed, he'll have to get her awake and kicking, with that little spitfire along for the ride." Rei said.
> 
> " There's no chance she's going to stay out of it is there?" Andrew said hopefully.
> 
> " No, all the sleeping drug is out of her system and I didn't have a chance to feed her any more." Lita said.
> 
> " Lord Darien is not going to be happy at all. One of us is going to have to go and see him tonight and explain what happened." Zoicite said.
> 
> " We should have asked Mina to help us." Amy said, mournfully.
> 
> " Ask her to betray her only friend?" Jadeite scoffed.
> 
> " Forget it."
> 
> " I'll go and see Lord Darien." Zoicite said.
> 
> " I'll come too." Nephlite said, standing.
> 
> " Good luck." Amy and Lita called.
> 
> " Wait for me." Rei said, running to the door just as they were leaving.  
  
Lotsa Love Tandem.


	9. It Gets Worse

Disclaimer:I don't own sailormoon

> Chapter eight  
  
Lord Darien was angry. He paced his study in front of the three people standing there. " I was so close to having her!" He fumed.
> 
> " We're sorry, but there was nothing we could do to stop her." Rei said.
> 
> " You were five against one, you could have taken her!" Lord Darien said.
> 
> " And risked her finding out what was happening, my lord?!" Jadeite hissed.  
  
" You could have hit her over the head, knocked her unconscious." Lord Darien replied.
> 
> " We need her awake if this plan is going to succeed." Zoicite said.
> 
> " I was so close to finally having her!" Lord Darien cried. " I don't care what you have to do to get Serena here tomorrow, I don't care what you have to do to her little friend, knock her over the head, feed her a sleeping drug, but get Serena here tomorrow or everything we have worked to hide for all these years is going to be exposed and we are all dead men!" Lord Darien hissed.
> 
> " Understood." Rei said.  
  
" You may come out Rini." Lord Darien said, looking expectantly at the door leading into the library. Rini hesitantly walked into Lord Darien's study, her cheeks bright red because she had been caught eavesdropping.
> 
> " What was that about, my lord? It sounded like you were plotting murder." Rini asked looking stricken.
> 
> " You should not have heard that." Lord Darien said, looking reproachfully into her soft eyes.
> 
> " I know, and now that I have I wish I hadn't. I don't want to know that you're plotting murder. I want to think of you as the caring guardian you've always been." Rini wailed, her voice rising steadily. Lord Darien was at her side instantly, shaking her roughly.
> 
> " Shhhhhhhh Rini, you're going to ruin everything!" He hissed.
> 
> " You're not a murderer.... you're not! You can't be." Rini cried, backing away from him.
> 
> " Rini will you listen if I explain it to you?" Lord Darien asked, gently.
> 
> " Can you explain it to me? Is that possible? Is there ever a satisfactory reason for taking someone else's life? How can the man I know to be kind and caring, even contemplate murder?" Rini asked.
> 
> " Sit down and let me explain what is happening, and you can decide if my reasons for doing what I am about to are good enough for you." Lord Darien said, indicating a chair.  
  
" My parents were part of this?" Rini asked when Lord Darien had finished his story.
> 
> " Yes, this is what they died for." Lord Darien said.
> 
> " But this war between the nobles and the rebellion... I thought it had only been going on for the last five years." Rini said, puzzled.
> 
> " No, that is when it started becoming public knowledge." Darien said. " This war has been going on for over twenty years and it's about to come to a head."
> 
> " I don't know if what you are about to do is right, but I will help in whatever way I can." Rini said.
> 
> " Thank you. For the moment I think it would be safer for you if I didn't get you involved." Lord Darien said. Rini sighed.  
  
They sat around the table and planned, in hushed voices, the sequence of events that would take place the next day, to bring Serena into the Lord Darien's keeping. Mina was the main problem, but plans for her were quickly dealt with and they moved onto other problems to be smoothed out. The sat up late into the night, and used the early hours of the morning to prepare themselves and set everything up for the quick execution of the strategies they had devised. By noon the next day, Serena and Min would be in the custody of the youngest man ever to head either side of the war of the Lords and the Rebellion.  
  
Really short, I know. Tandem.


	10. Fallen

> Disclaimer: I don't own sailormoon
> 
> Chapter Nine  
  
Mina sat next to Serena and watched as her eyes slowly opened. The slivers of blue gradually got bigger, util the whole orbs could be seen. Mina smiled at her when she turned her head.  
  
" Hello."  
  
" Mina?" Serena asked, her voice raspy.  
  
"Yeah, how do you feel?" Mina asked.  
  
"Sore. What happened? I remember waking up and someone trying to force something down my throat. Was that you?"  
  
" No, it wasn't me. Oh, Serena, I've got us into a terrible situation. The people who found us are trying to kill you and I don't know why." Mina cried.  
  
" Trying to kill me?"  
  
" The liquid they were trying to force you to drink, it was poison."  
  
' But why would they want to kill me?" Serena asked, confused.  
  
"I don't know, I was hoping you would." Mina said.  
  
" Thinking about it, it might have something to do with my parents, but I'm not sure. Is there any chance of getting a drink?"  
  
" Not right now. I don't want to leave you in case they decide to come and try again. I don't want to use the cup that had the poison because I'm not sure what it weas and it might have left a residue."  
  
" What are we going to do?" Serena asked.  
  
" Get out of here. I heard three horses riding away, so that means that at least three of them are gone. That still leaves five, but I think I've found a way to get out of this room without going through the kitchen. But it's going tohurt you.' mina said.  
  
" Pain is nothing new to me. What's your plan?"  
  
" Unfortunately there is no roof underneath this window, but there is a small ledge. We're going to use the classic ' get out through the window' trick. Mina said, trying to lighten the mood as she bent down to help Serena sit up.  
  
mina tried to ignore the flashes o-0f agony she could see contort Serena's features. She knew if she dallied they would never get out of there alive. Making sure their movements were muffled by the rug on the floor, she got Serena up and helped her move towards the window.  
  
"I'm going up to check on them." Amy said, walling to the bottom o0f the stairs.  
  
" Don't go in that room!' Zoicite said firmly.  
  
" I'm not, I'm just going to knock and see if Mina answers.' Amy replied.  
  
" Call out if anything goes wrong." Lita said.  
  
"Will do."  
  
Amy walked up the stairs, quietly, trying to make as little noise as possible. She didn't want to alert Mina tpo her presence before she reached the door. Something was nagging at the back of her mind, a feeling that something wasn't right in that room. She had been trained to notice her surroundings and things out of the ordinary, and the quietness emanating from the room above had made her suspicious. People as angry as Mina, should be pacing the floor, but nothing indicated that she had been. She was sure Serena would have woken up by now, and it worried her that Mina hadn't even moved to get her something to drink.  
  
She stopped briefly at the top of the stairs to listen for voices coming from the room. When she heard them she moved cautiously up to the door and pressed her ear against it. What she heard made her blood freeze. She quickly rushed back to the top of the stairs, relieved to see that one of the others were standing at the bottom. She motioned frantically for the rest of them to come up, then raced back to the door and slammed it open.  
  
Mina was just getting her feet secure on the ledge beneath the window, readying herself to help Serena through, when the door slammed back on its hinges. Serena screamed in fright, and Mina moved frantically to get her through the window.  
  
" Come on Serena... MOVE!" Mina yelled.  
  
Ignoring the pain in her back, Serena hoisted herself onto the windowsill and swung her legs over it. But she wasn't quick enough.  
  
Zoicite was the second in the room, after Amy, and barged past her when he saw what was happening. He reached Serena just as she was lowering herself onto the ledge, grabbing her under her armpits and hauling her back in. Mina yelled and whacked him over the head with something. He swore but didn't let Serena go. The others were quickly beside him, helping to bring Serena back over the windowsill and into the room, with Mina frantically trying to pull her through from the other side. Five against one were terrible odds and Mina eventually lost her hold on Serena. She watched as she disappeared back into the room they had so nearly got away from. She stood where she was; despair seeping through her, stopping her from moving.  
  
Lita made sure the struggling Serena was held tightly, then cautiously stuck her head out the window, ready to pull it back in if anything came flying at it. When nothing did, she stuck it out fully and regarded Mina thoughtfully. She was staring at the wall in front of her, tears streaming down her face, barely holding on. She looked like she was going to topple over the edge.  
  
" Come back in Mina." Lita said quietly. " Your escape failed, and you can't leave Serena here to fend for herself."  
  
Mina started violently at the sudden voice, and grabbed frantically at the wall to try and regain her balance, when she started to fall. Her fingers hooked onto a loos rock and held tightly.  
  
" Come back into the room." Lita said, extending a hand.  
  
Mina looked at her, then the ground. She calculated the height and decided to go back into the room. But when she lifted her hand to try and grab another rock, she lost her balance and fell away from the wall, heading quickly for the ground.  
  
Lita cried out as Mina fell, watching her get ever closer to the ground. She quickly averted her head, so she wouldn't see when she hit the ground, and accidentally caught Serena's eyes. They were filled with anger and life for a second, but quickly became lifeless as she heard Mina scream, knowing she had fallen.  
  
Authors note: I know, I know, very cliché, but hey! Shoot me! Please Review.


	11. Starvation

> Authors notes: Hey everyone, well here's another chapter for you. Sorry it's taken a while to get this finished, but exams are on me and I don't have much time to write. There should be another few chapters coming up quickly after this one because I'm almost at the end of exams, so please wait just a little while longer. Thanks for all the reviews.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own sailor moon.  
  
Chapter Ten  
  
Serena curled onto her sides, closing her eyes against the pain tearing through her. She was in a room that looked like it belonged to a beautiful young girl, who felt it necessary to have beautiful things around her. Flowers were arranged artfully around the room and the decorations were delicate and tasteful. But apart from a slight glance around, Serena hadn't taken any notice of her surroundings, too consumed with her sorrow. She had found the tightest corner of the room and hidden herself away from everything, mourning the loss of her best friend. She heard her screams echoing in her head, could almost feel the thud as she hit the ground, see the blood that would have pooled under Mina's broken form. She barely remembered being brought to this place, having deliberately distanced herself from reality when they had picked her up and carried her to the waiting cart, an hour after Mina had fallen. The heartless bastards hadn't even bothered to take care of Mina's body. They had all stayed in the room with her, with the exception of Lita who had gone to get the cart. They had all seemed to be relieved that Mina was gone.  
  
"She still hasn't moved." Rei said, coming into the room, having just taken some food up to Serena.  
  
" And she still hasn't eaten! And she still hasn't said a word! And she still hasn't cried! I know." Lord Darien said.  
  
" We are going to have to do something soon, it's been three days." Kunzite said.  
  
" I know. But grief can do funny things to people, I'm hoping this will remind her of what we want to know." Lord Darien said.  
  
" We won't get anything out of her if she dies of starvation and coldness!" Lita said.  
  
" She is covered you know." Rei said calmly.  
  
" She just throws any blanket placed over her off when we leave the room." Amy said.  
  
Rei was about to say something when Lord Darien suddenly got up from his chair and walked over to the bookcase, scanning titles distractedly.  
  
" Force feed her." Lord Darien said suddenly.  
  
" What?" Kunzite asked, sitting forward in his seat.  
  
" Force feed her." Lord Darien repeated. " If she's not going to eat by herself, we're going to have to force feed her."  
  
" It'll send her even further into her grief if you do something like that. She'll withdraw even further and possibly do herself some harm." Lita exclaimed.  
  
" Can you think of any other way to get her to eat?" Lord Darien asked bitingly.  
  
" She'll get hungry sometime." Lita said quietly, chastised.  
  
" She hasn't eaten in three days, she should have been hungry last night, but she didn't eat did she?"  
  
" No."  
  
" Force feed her." Lord Darien said sharply, looking around the room. " Force her to eat until she feeds herself."  
  
They all nodded their heads. Lord Darien left the room, leaving them to decide who was going to be the one who did it.  
  
" I think we should take it in turns." Amy said.  
  
" I don't want to go first." Lita said, a little desperately.  
  
" You were trained to cope with situations like this. it should mean nothing to you." Jadeite said roughly.  
  
" I was trained to cope with people that have clearly acted against us, not a young girl who probably has no idea why this is happening to her!" Lita cried, jumping up.  
  
" Have you so easily forgotten her parents?" Jadeite asked.  
  
" Of course I haven't. But she hasn't grown up with her parents influence has she? She's grown up knowing only hatred and pain. She's just lost the only friend she's ever had, and now we're about to inflict more physical AND psychological pain on her, or haven't you yet figured out how we are going to have to force feed her?" Lita said.  
  
" I know how we're going to have to do it." Jadeite said quietly.  
  
" Then have some respect for the way I'm feeling about all this!" Lita cried, slumping back into her chair.  
  
" I'll do it tonight." Kunzite said into the quiet room.  
  
" If we do it in twos we'll have some support." Zoicite said.  
  
" I'll help Kunz tonight." Amy said.  
  
Jadeite looked over at Rei and when she nodded spoke up.  
  
" Rei and I'll take next meal."  
  
" Lita and I'll take the one after that." Zoicite said.  
  
" Nephrite and I'll take the one after that." Andrew said.  
  
With that decided, they all lapsed into silence. After about half an hour of taught silence, waiting for Kunzite and Amy to leave and get the equipment they would need, Lita finally gave into her distress and fled the room. Amy and Kunzite took that as their clue and left quietly.  
  
" Found the pipe, Kunz." Amy said from the back corners of the shed out the back of the mansion.  
  
" Cut a long piece from the middle, less chance of dust having gotten too thickly clogged up in there." Kunzite said, finding the funnel he had been looking for.  
  
" I wish we didn't have to do this." Amy said.  
  
" None of us want to do it." Kunzite replied.  
  
Amy walked over to him and taking the funnel from him, picked up a bottle of disinfectant and walked outside to rinse the equipment with it. Kunzite watched her work, noticing her hands were begging to tremble. He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed reassuringly.  
  
Amy paused outside the room that Serena was in. She could feel how badly her hands were shaking, and took a deep breath to try and calm herself.  
  
" Hopefully we will only have to do this once." Kunzite said behind her, balancing a bowl of water and watery gruel on a tray.  
  
" Hopefully." Amy said, and pushed the door open.
> 
> Lita tried to shut her ears to the cries she could hear coming from Serena's room down the hall, but she couldn't. She buried her head under her pillow and let her tears flow freely, only vaguely aware when someone entered her room and sat down beside her, drawing her close to their body. She felt a pair of hands brush the hair off her back and start rubbing it, and another pair lifting the pillow away so they could see her face. She kept her eyes closed, but knew from instinct that it was Rini.  
  
" It'll be alright Lita." Rini said, softly, tears thickening her voice and making it sound childlike.  
  
" It can't be alright." Lita said heartbreakingly.  
  
Rini burst into tears and crawled into the arms Lita opened wide for her, briefly looking up into Nephrite's cloudy eyes. The three lay holding each other until Serena's cries ceased, and even then, they held onto one another long into the night, vaguely hearing Serena's muted sobbing.  
  
Authors note: Ok I know, it's a really sad and not very pleasant chapter. I can't promise anything much better for the next chapter, but it won't always be like this one. Please R&R, it's been great hearing from everyone. Tandem.


	12. Darien

> Authors Note: Sorry it has taken a while for this chapter to come out, I've been a little bit busy with school and my other story, which I'm concentrating more on cause it's getting more reviews. No offence to anyone who like this one. Well anyway, here's another chapter for those of you who have been waiting for it, thanks for all your support and I promise I'll try harder to get this one written faster. Please remember to R & R. Tandem.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own sailor moon.  
  
Chapter Eleven.  
  
Serena looked up as the door to her room opened and shrunk back into the wall. Two people walked in, one carrying a tray, the other carrying the instruments of her torment yesterday.  
  
" No, not again." She cried hoarsely.  
  
Jadeite held out a bowl to her, but she shrunk away from it.  
  
" Listen," Jadeite said roughly. " Either you eat this, or we are going to have to force you to."  
  
" I can't." Serena cried. " Please, just leave me alone, let me grieve for the only friend I've ever had, in the only way I know how!"  
  
" Starving yourself is not doing anyone any good. Cry, scream, throw things rant and rave, do what normal people do when they are grieving, but don't starve yourself, you're needed alive. And if the only way to keep you alive is to force food down your throat, then that is what we are going to do." Rei said.  
  
Serena curled even further into the wall.
> 
> " We can't keep forcing food down her throat." Andrew said to Lord Darien.  
  
" I know, ' her throat is raw and she won't be able to tell us anything if she can't talk...' I've heard it before Andrew. I just can't figure out another way to do it. I was hoping that after a few times she would give in and eat of her own free will, I never expected her to last a week!"  
  
" None of us did." Andrew tried to reassure him.  
  
" We're running out of time. I've got the other lords breathing down my neck, pushing me to get the information we need from her." Lord Darien said warily.  
  
" Have you been in too see her yet?"  
  
" No. I would probably lose control and start verbally attacking her, using the memory of Mina to force her to eat."  
  
" Already been tried." Andrew said.  
  
" That girl is too stubborn!" Lord Darien exploded. " Have you thought of giving her something of Mina's to have? Something she can hold close while she grieves?" Andrew asked.  
  
" How would that help?"  
  
" She's not eating because she is grieving. Maybe if she has something of Mina's to hold she might start eating again. It might be a bit of a long shot, but we can't force that pipe down her throat one more time or she's going to start bleeding."  
  
" Try it!" Lord Darien said abruptly.  
  
" What do you want her to have?"  
  
" Take the necklace Mina wore." Lord Darien said decisively.  
  
" I'll take it up with her next meal." Andrew said.  
  
" No, I'll take it up to her." Lord Darien said.  
  
" My Lord, she doesn't know you." Andrew pointed out.  
  
" All the more reason for her to trust me over you." Lord Darien replied.
> 
> Lord Darien opened the door to the room where Serena was being held. He looked around for her and saw her lying in the corner, up against the wall, fast asleep. It was obvious she was having trouble breathing and it was obvious that the reason was the swelling around her throat area. He walked over, lifted her into his arms and walked over to the bed, making sure his movements were slow and gentle, so that if she woke up she wouldn't feel threatened. He laid her down gently and brushed her hair back. He settled in a chair next t0o the bed and waited for her to awaken, prepared to wait all night if it was necessary. It wasn't. Serena stirred about an hour after he had moved her and stared at him without the strength to draw away from him when he sat froward and brushed her cheek with his knuckles.  
  
" You sleep like you're never going to wake up." Lord Darien said quietly.  
  
Whatever it was she had been expecting him to say, it wasn't that. Her eyes collided with his and hers widened, asking him silently who he was.  
  
" My name's Darien." He provided. "Your Serena and this..." He let a black, woven leather necklace fall from his hand to hang in front of her eyes." Is your friend Mina's." He found her hand and placed the necklace into it.  
  
Tears filled Serena's eyes and fell onto the pillow. She clutched the necklace close to her heart and sobbed pitifully. Lord Darien watched her silently, noticing how strongly she grieved for her only friend. When she had quietened down a bit, he walked over to the door, opened it, bent down and picked up a tray, and brought it over to Serena. She looked at it, then at him.  
  
" Your throat hurts because tubes have been stuffed down it three times every day for the last week. Your having trouble breathing because your throat is so swollen and despite everything you're feeling, your stomach is crying out for food. Don't you think it's about time you ate willingly?" Darien asked her, making his voice as gentle a possible.  
  
Indecision seethed in Serena's eyes and Lord Darien saw it. He pushed the tray a little further towards her. She sat up slowly, looking at the bowl of soup on the tray.  
  
Lord Darien walked out of the room with a satisfied smile on his face. He met Lita walking down the hall and smiled more widely at her.  
  
" Well she's eating." He said, extremely satisfied with himself.  
  
" How did you manage that?" Lita asked, brightening a bit.  
  
" Secret." Lord Darien said and sauntered off down the hall.  
  
Nephrite walked out of his room and stood next to Lita, watching Lord Darien walking away. He brushed at Lita's hair and rested his hand on her shoulder. She turned her head and looked at him.  
  
" No more worrying until the next crisis OK?" He said playfully.  
  
Lita laughed at him and promised.
> 
> Authors Note: Well there we go, that wasn't so hard. In my mind it was going to be a lot more horrible, but I couldn't do it. Well any way, Serena's met Lord Darien. Please send me a review and let me know what you think. Tandem.


	13. Regrets and Friendship

Disclaimer: I don't own sailor moon.

Chapter Twelve

Kunzite sat at the kitchen table and stared down at the pile of Minas belongings on his desk. There was nothing very significant in the small pile, just a few personal things that must have been very special to her for her to have brought them all the way from the orphanage. He reached over to pick up a small coin that was lying on the top of the pile and examined it. To him it didn't mean anything, it was just like a hundred other coins he'd seen like it throughout his liftime. He wondered how simple Mina's life had been and felt his grief welling up inside him. To prevent it from taking hold, he shoved away from the table and stalked outside into the Mill's garden, moving restlessly to his favourite place. He sat down and put his head in his hands. In the peacefullness of the garden, he let the tears he'd held in check for so long flow down his cheeks. He mourned for a girls life, where she would have never known love, where there'd been little happiness and a whole load of betrayal, he mourned for Mina and her unhappy childhood.

Serena lay in the dark and contemplated the ceiling, her thoughts swirling about in her head. She thought about her visit from Darien mostly, a nagging feeling that all wasn't as it seemed with him making her analys every minute with him. She held Minas necklace tightly in her fist and tried to concentrate on what was making her so uneasy about his visit, but was having trouble. She threw her pillow at the roof in frustration. She longed to have Mina beside her, helping her to think this problem out, but knew she would never be able to do that again. Mina would have known straight away whether the man she had met that night could have been trusted, she always knew the sort of people stranger would be. Serena absently scratched an itchy spot on her wrist and rolled over to face the windows. An hour later she gave up all hope of pinpointing exactly what it was about him and decided she would just stay as far away and as distant as possible.

For the first time since she had been brought there, Serena heard a knock on her door and sat up on the bed. She looked expectantly towards the door, waiting for who ever it was to come barging through the door straight away, without waiting for a come in. She was surprised when that didn't happen. She waited a few minutes longer until she heard another knock and called out for them to come in.

She was surprised to see a girl slightly younger than herself walk in and stand just inside the door, followed by the man she'd met a couple of nights ago. He smiled at her and prodded the girl forward.

"Good morning Serena." He said, coming to stand at the end of the bed and watching her swing her legs over the edge.

Serena nodded at him and stared at the girl who'd accompanied him. The girl smiled warmly and held out her hand.

"I'm Rini." She said quietly.

Serena looked at the outstretched hand warily, refusing to accept it. She nodded her head in acknowledgement and watched as Rini dropped her hand.

"Come now Serena, that's not like you. Rini bites occasionally, but that's usually only the suitors that she doesn't like." Darien said jokingly.

Serena lowered her gaze to her hands and refused to look in his direction, or in Rinis direction.

"Rini wants only to be your friend." Lord Darien said.

"I know I can't take Mina's place, but I would like to be someone you could talk to, like you could talk to her. You must get lonely up here by yourself." Rini said quietly.

"I don't need another friend, one is enough."

"You don't know that. You've only ever had Mina. There are other people in the world who would like to be your friend too. Just like Mina did." Lord Darien said.

"I don't need another friend.I already have one." Serena repeated.

"Then what do you need? Mina's gone, you can't claim to have her as your friend any more. She WAS your friend, she's gone and that means you don't have one any more. Accept Rini's friendship. You need a friend in THIS world, not someone who's not around any more." Lord Darien said firmly.

"I've found that more than one friend can help make a lot of things bearabl." Rini put in helpfully.

"I don't care. I...had Mina and that's all I need." Serena said, rubbing at her wrist.

"You'll find that's a mistake." Lord Darien said.

"My life is a mistake." Serena said absently.

Lord Darien walked over to his desk and slamned his hands on the top swearing viciously. He hated when one of his plans didn't go the way he wanted them to. Rini would have made the perfect path to Serena's mind. By being her friend she would have eventually had her trust and then through that trust, the information he needed. With the other Lords breathing down his neck for answers he needed the knowledge Serena had. And it didn't look like he was going to get it anytime soon. Unless he resorted to violence.


	14. Notice to readers

To my beautiful/handsome readers.

I'm so sorry to those who have been waiting so patiently for another chapter. Unfortunately I have not been able to access my computer, due to a worm contaminating the system and creating 7000 files in an hour.

I promise you that some time soon I will have another chapter up for you to read, as soon as I can retrieve it from my computer. Please stick with me, and know that I will brave hell and high water to bring you another chapter as soon as I can.

Thank you all for your patience and loyalty. I hope, despite this little delay, you will continue to read and review, and please, if you think this story is any good, recommend it to your friends and family.

Yours,

Tandem


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